One Wish
by A Reviewing Reader
Summary: "You know what I wish?" she whispers. "What?" he asks. "I wish I could be with you forever." She smiles, and he beams in reply. They edge closer and closer, meeting together with a perfect kiss.  My entry to InkHeart4112's Challenge!
1. Meeting Again

"I'll have one coffee, please," a blonde-haired man orders.

She looks up, her recently-cut, chocolate brown hair fanning in front of her face. She nods, whispering in her English accent, "Alright. I'll be back in a minute."

She turns to go, when a hand on her wrist stops her. She glances back at him with a curious look. "Yes?" she asks.

"Did you use to live in England?" he inquires.

She grins, happy to hear his own accent. "Yes, I did. But I moved here with my friend, Nina, after school."

"Oh, cool. Um, sorry for bothering you, you just seem very familiar," he remarks.

"It's fine. I'll get that coffee, okay?" He nods and she walks off, behind the counter.

"I need a fresh pot of coffee, a plate of scrambled eggs and turkey bacon, and a stack of pancakes," she calls through the window.

"Got it, Joy!" Marissa, the chef, chef, replies.

"I'll be back in a minute," Joy throws over her shoulder as she grabs the pitcher with only two cups of coffee left in it. She glides over to the counter and fills up one nearly-empty cup to a man reading the Sunday paper, and then goes over to the blonde man who spoke to her earlier.

Joy puts a well-used, white mug in front of him, then poured the black coffee into the mug. "There you go, sir. Would you like anything else?" She takes a notepad from her back pocket and a pen from her ear, and gives him her full attention.

"Er, no. But I do have a question." He lifts his head to meet her eyes, and it strikes her how familiar he looks.

_Where do I know you from?_ Joy asks herself. Instead of voicing her thoughts, she replies, "Yes?"

"What time do you get off?"

"Oh." She feels herself flushing a light pink. It has been ages since someone asked about that, and Joy almost forgets what time she gets off. "Um, it-it's five. No, I mean, s-six."

He arches an eyebrow. "I would have assumed the latter, honestly, since it's already five-forty-seven."

She stifles a laugh, but hears her name from Marissa: "Joy, I have your orders!"

"Oh, sorry!" Joy faces him again, adding, "I'm sorry, I have to go. Meet you here in a bit, right?"

"I'll be here," he responds with a smirk, taking a sip of his coffee.

Joy spins on her heel and heads back to the counter, to grab a platter on which she places the order of eggs and bacon and the plate of pancakes. She slides the pancakes down the counter, to a five-year-old boy who is eagerly awaiting his meal. The eggs and bacon plate she hands to a tall young woman with almond eyes and a heart-shaped face. The woman gives Joy a serene smile, whispering a soft "Thank you," and begins to eat her food.

"So who's that?" Marissa asks over the window, aiming the question at Joy. Joy tucks the empty platter under her arm, the notepad in her back pocket, and whirls to face her friend.

She eyes the blonde man who looks so familiar, but she cannot place where she has seen him. "I don't know. Looks like I know him, but . . ."

"He's cute," Marissa comments.

Joy rolls her eyes. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead and date him, I really don't care."

. . .

It is six-o'clock, the end of Joy's shift at the place named: Erin's Diner. The man is still sitting there, checking his phone and taking occasional sips of coffee. After telling Marissa everything that happened, she urges Joy to go out with him, though Joy is not keen on having a relationship with anyone.

Joy hangs up her apron on the rack behind the counter, slipping on her warm black jacket over her uniform: a red shirt with the Erin's logo and blue jeans. She glances over at the man again, and now he's looking at her with those familiar blue eyes.

"Go, go!" Marissa whispers, pushing Joy's shoulders toward the booth he sits in.

"Alright, just stop pushing me!" Joy hisses in reply. She walks over to the booth, looking down and not meeting his eyes.

"What, afraid to look at me?" he jokes.

She sits across from him in the booth and raises her head to meet his gaze, giving him a cool look. "Nope. I just can't help but think you look very familiar . . ."

"Really?" he replies.

"Yes. Really." Joy smirks.

"What school did you go to?"

"Primary or secondary?"

"Either one works."

Joy shakes her head. "Too personal a question. Next?"

He laughs. "Fine, what's your name?"

"Joy. Joy Mercer," Joy answers.

His eyes widen. "No way."

Joy laughs. "Yes, it's true. My name is Joy. What's yours?"

"I'm Mick Campbell."

"No . . . you can't be!" She smiles. "How much do you eat daily?"

"Piles and piles of food," Mick replies with a grin.

"You are most definitely Mick Campbell." Joy ruffles his hair, as if affectionately petting her cat. "So how have you been?"

"Great. I'm going to university at UCLA. Majoring in sports."

"Obviously," Joy remarks with a sardonic smile.

"So how have you been since school? It's been, what, four years?" he asks.

"I moved here after school, with Nina. We-we made up after school. I apologized for how awful I was for those years in school, how I continued to run after Fabian like an idiot. I really was just kidding myself that he liked me, the signs were all there. I . . . I was being really-really stupid."

"No, you weren't. You just took a little longer to get over love," Mick assures her. He reaches over and takes her hand. He squeezes it with a sweet smile.

Joy opens her mouth to speak, but her phone lets off a shrill beep. She gives him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. Hold on."

She presses the Call button and puts the phone to her ear. "Hello?" Joy answers.

"Hey, Joy. It's Patricia. I have a question for you," Patricia replies.

"Okay, what is it?" Joy responds.

"Well, I need to tell you in person. Get over here in five, yeah?"

"Wait- P-Patricia, hold on!" Joy cries frantically into the phone.

"Hey Yacker, where are you?" a familiar American's voice sounds through the phone.

"Is that Eddie?" Joy exclaims.

"Uh, I-I gotta go!" Patricia mutters hurriedly. "Be over here soon, okay? Bye!"

"Patricia!" Joy shouts into the phone. But it is too late: the dial tone rings in her ears.

She groans into the speaker, hitting the End Call button in frustration. She tucks the phone into her pocket again, rolling her eyes. She turns to face Mick, who looks at her in confusion.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

"Yeah. I just have to go. Um, here." She runs over to the counter and grabs her notepad. She scribbles down her number, rips the paper from the notepad, and hands it to Mick. "That's my number-call me sometime, okay?"

"Sure."

"Bye!" Joy calls over her shoulder. And then she is gone.

* * *

><p>This is set in the future, after the Anubis kids graduate. Obviously I will be continuing because this first chapter had absolutely NO fluff... Honestly, I think I could have done a better job on this. But I wanted to get SOMETHING in...<p>

I promise the next chapter won't be as bad! So please review!

~Ary


	2. Remembering

"What is it?" Joy asks irritably as she walks into her best friend's house. "I was kind of in the middle of something."

"Oh, thanks, Joy. Glad my best friend cares so much about my being engaged," Patricia scoffs from the other room.

Joy drops her purse to the floor in total shock. Patricia glides in, wearing an elegant outfit of a blue and green blouse with long black slacks. She flashes the glittering, glamourous diamond ring in front of Joy, a wide smile on the redhead's face.

Patricia is suddenly attacked by an exuberant Joy, who is beaming with as much radiance as the sun. Joy is clutching her friend with so much happiness, Patricia looks as if she's being choked with it.

"I am so happy for you!" Joy squeals, probably deafening Patricia's eardrums.

Patricia lets out a breathy laugh, returning Joy's embrace. "Thanks, Joy. And I still have my question to ask you."

Joy pulls away with excitement shining in her eyes, a plan formulating her head as she thinks of ideas for the wedding.

"Would you be my-y'know that thing that people are?-that maid of honor or something-"

"Yes! Definitely!" Joy exclaims.

"Uh, o-okay," Patricia stammers out, completely taken aback by Joy's giddiness.

"It's to Eddie, isn't it?" Joy already knows it's true, but she wants to confirm her idea.

"Wai- How did you know it was him?"

"Lucky guess." Joy smirks. "No, I heard him over the phone in our last call."

"Oh," Patricia shrugs. "Well, now that you heard the news, can you help me tell Amber?"

"Yeah, of course. Why? Are you scared about the crazy, blonde fashionista coming to take you away into a sea of wedding dresses and tiaras?" Joy teases.

The redhead narrows her eyes in annoyance, but nods. "You know how crazy Amber can get about weddings. Remember her and Alfie's wedding? She had the cliche, romantic, 'white wedding' that apparently _every girl_ wants to have." She rolls her eyes at the last bit.

Her best friend laughs. "Well, true. I can see why you would be so scared of her. So when do you want to tell her?"

"Um, maybe-"

"Hey, Trixie. Where'd you go-?" Eddie's voice wafts through the air, as does the sudden **sizzle** of meat against oil as he starts to cook.

"I'm over here," Patricia replies. She begins to walk into the kitchen, and Joy follows. "Are you hungry? Eddie's said he was going to make us some lunch, want to join?"

Joy thinks about accepting, her empty belly reminding her by giving off a low growl. Thankfully, it is not loud enough to be heard over the **sizzling** of the food, so Patricia does not notice.

There is Eddie-in a button-down, black shirt with blue jeans, looking like he always has: carefree and cocky. He looks up with a grin at seeing Patricia, but seems a bit startled that Joy is there.

"Oh hey, Joy. How are you doing?" Eddie uses a wooden spoon to shift around what appears to be ground beef, then takes a few spice containers and shakes them over the food. The smell drifts to Joy's nostrils, making her mouth water.

"I'm fine. Congrats on the engagement," Joy commends.

"Thanks. Yep, me and my annoying English girlfriend are getting married. Quite a time for celebration," he smirks, throwing an arm around the redhead's shoulders.

Patricia wriggles out of his hold, smacking him on the shoulder. The hit lightly jostles the pan of cooking beef. "Did you just call your future fiancée annoying?" she growls.

"Yes, I did, _dear_." Eddie's eyes glimmer with sarcasm.

The stubborn, snide redhead gives him a half-smile, but kisses him on the lips anyway. "Sometimes I hate you, you know."

"And sometimes you love me, right?" Eddie adds.

"Yeah, I do." Patricia smiles.

Joy fidgets awkwardly at watching her two friends flirt and kiss like this, not knowing what to do with herself. She decides to interject before things turn a little too lovey-dovey. She pipes up, "Hey, lovebirds."

Both Eddie and Patricia stop staring at each other and glance at Joy. She gives them a little wave with a half-smile. "I'll just be going then. Don't want to ruin the moment."

"You kind of already did," Eddie mutters as he returns to cooking the food. Patricia smacks him again, but inquires,

"You sure you don't want anything?"

"No, no. I'm fine. If I do want something, I'll get something to eat at **McDonald's** or something, don't worry." Joy moves to the door, putting her hand on the handle to leave.

"O-Okay. Um, I'll tell you later about when to tell Amber, yeah?" Patricia calls.

"Yeah, sure," Joy replies, waving her off. She shuts the door, cutting off whatever her best friend is just about to say.

Joy presses her lips in a tight line, trying to form a happy expression for her friend, though Patricia isn't outside to see her. Joy ultimately gives up, knowing she can't do it after seeing her best friend and Eddie sending loving gazes at each other. She slowly trudges to the curb, where her dark red convertible sits.

She climbs into the front seat, putting her keys in the ignition and turning the key to start the car. As she pulls away from the sidewalk and onto the road, her mind spins with thoughts about everything: the wedding, to being a maid of honor, and of just love in general.

She thinks of the wedding and the couple that are soon to be married. "Patricia Williamson" and "getting married" do not form a cohesive sentence in her mind. Maybe because her redheaded best friend always said that she would never find anyone good enough for her. Now that she is about to be married-Joy is still recovering from her shock.

When Joy thinks about Eddie, the first word to come to her mind is "stupid." Mainly because the little twit annoys the hell out of her on a daily basis. But . . . if he makes Trixie happy, well, then she can bear his irritating cockiness.

The two of them do look really happy together, and they are a match made in heaven: both arrogant, stubborn, sarcastic, but with just a touch of hatred towards one another that they're not the completely perfect couple like Fabina.

_Whoa_, she chastises herself. _Do not go there. Fabian and Nina are dating, happy together, and you are Nina's friend. You live on the same floor as her, for crying out loud. She is just nice enough to give you a room after what happened. Do not think about that._

Her thoughts redirect themselves to the topic of being the maid of honor. It is pretty incredible: it would be the first wedding that Joy would not be a bridesmaid in. Before the wedding, she will help Patricia pick out the wedding's location, mail out all of the wedding invitations, choosing the decoration and helping with the color theme. She will help Patricia pick out the bride and the bridesmaids' dresses, along with planning the rehearsal dinner. Joy _would_ host the Bridal Shower and the Bachelorette Party, but she has a feeling that Amber will prefer to do that, and Joy has enough sense to not stand in the eccentric blonde's way.

A loud honk jerks Joy out of her thoughts in time for her to swerve sharply right to avoid going into the left-hand lane. The man she almost crashed into yells a stream of curses at her, but Joy gives him an apologetic smile, mouthing, "Sorry."

Joy cruises to a stop at a red light, and she begins to think about England. It is so much easier to drive there, with its roundabouts that are much easier to navigate through than some stupid flashing lights that don't seem to work in the rain. She taps her fingers on the steering wheel, impatiently waiting for the light to turn green.

A flash of green catches her attention, the stoplight changed, and Joy hits the gas pedal to drive forward.

With each passing street light, more and more thoughts fill her head, and by the time she arrives home, her mind is weighed down by the amount of things she is thinking about. Removing her shoes and crawling into her bed, though it is only seven o'clock, she falls into a restless sleep: full of unspoken wishes, hopeless dreams, and a remembrance of that four-lettered word, love.

. . .

Joy is sitting in a wicker chair with cloth pillows and sipping champagne from a glass flute, dressed in a violet-hued dress. In her hair are dozens of lilacs and purple roses, along with flowers to match her dress, the violet itself. Her feet are bare, and the dress is just short enough to show off her long legs that have been bronzed by the sun.

Golden light bathes her skin, but the sun isn't shining bright enough that she is blinded by it. She notes her brown hair that is coiffed perfectly, and it has turned almost a cinnamon color in the light.

Joy truly feels like she is in heaven, and then she sees it.

A dark speck is on the horizon and Joy narrows her eyes to see what is happening. She can just make out pouring water coming from what looks like a rain cloud. A crouched figure is sitting there, not doing anything and getting drenched by the rain.

Joy stands up, out of her chair, still holding the flute in hand. She strides toward the cloud, her bare feet being enveloped with the warm sand that surrounds her.

As she approaches them, she sees that the figure is in ragged clothing, hair draping over their face. She looks strangely like Joy, with dark brown hair and olive-toned skin.

Her shaking shoulders confirm Joy's theory that she is crying. Now that she is closer, she sees that the figure _is_ a girl: one who is ripping up photos with pictures of her and . . . of him.

"Together forever? Yeah right!" she shouts at nothing.

Joy approaches the other one, but not before feeling hard concrete under the balls of her feet. It is weird, like an island of stone surrounded by a bowl of sand. She puts a soft hand on her shoulder. The other jumps in surprise, with wide eyes and trembling hands. Joy gasps as she realizes that the figure _is_ her.

"What's wrong?" Joy whispers quietly to her mirror image.

"How could this happen? I thought love was amazing . . ." the other's voice breaks. Then her brown eyes, identical to Joy's, darken with what seems to be hidden, boiling fury. "But it is not. It destroys everyone, turning them to heartless and broken people."

"Wha- What are you talking about?" Joy exclaims.

The doppelgänger's lips turn up in a creepy smile, letting out a sinister laugh. "Yeah, sure! Like you don't know. Love kills people on the inside and out.

"Of all people, you should know that. Remember that breakup?" She leans up and whispers into Joy's ear. Her next words freeze Joy, icy remembrance slithering up her body. "Remember _him_?"

The flute shatters to the ground, champagne spreading in all directions as glass splits into a billion pieces on the black concrete.

* * *

><p>Inkie, as you can see. All of the words I need to use are in <strong>bold<strong> font, and there will be more in the next chapters. If I misses any, just let me know (via PM or review, please!)

Yeah, Joy's dream goes from perfection to classic House of Anubis creepiness. I know that not much is revealed in this chapter, but I'll give you guys a hint about what is to come! Here it is . . .

_"Meet me at the park in five. I need someone to talk to."_

_"What happened to us? I mean, what we used to have?"_

_"Wanna make a wish?"_

_"Ha. Wishes are for people with no drive to do anything themselves. They're for those who can't bother to make something of themselves. So, as you can see, I don't do wishes."_

_"Would you . . . like to go . . . with me . . . to the wedding?"_

Hope you all enjoyed! Please review! (:

~Ary

PS: As you can probably tell, Patricia moved to America with Eddie, and Joy moved to America with Nina. Both drive on the right-hand side of the road. Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that.


	3. Under The Stars

Okay, I'm not one to be mad about few reviews, but seriously guys? So many of you have put this story under your alerts, and only ONE review in THREE DAYS for Chapter Two? Was it terrible? It can't be because of Fabina, because they're together in this story...

So can you guys please review? Because... I mean, I want to finish this for Inkie's Challenge, but still, I'd like some feedback... Please?

* * *

><p>Chapter Three: Under the Stars<p>

Joy wakes up with a start, sweat running down her body, though her blood is ice cold. She is in her bed, legs tangled in her sheets, with her hair matted to her skin. Joy touches her face and arms to make sure she is awake and that that had been a dream.

There is no violet dress to wear or champagne glasses to sip from, she is no longer in her dream world, she is in reality again. And that dream opens up a door that has been sealed tight for the longest time, for so many years that Joy has lost count. The door opens all of the memories that she had struggled to forget, and now she remembers everything.

The breakup with him and the heartbreak that it caused her. It is true, she had been devastated afterwards, but she got over it. She got over it, she got over it, she got over it.

Joy slid out of bed, brushing the sweaty locks from her face, then uses a rubber band to put her hair into a ponytail. She strides over to the bathroom, turning on the light, and looking at herself in the mirror. Her hair is disheveled and messy, and on any regular day, she would have been fussing over every single hair that is out of place. Her eyes still appear to be dazed, but that might be because of the sudden change from darkness to light.

Joy flips the handle of the faucet to turn it on and runs her clammy palms under the cool, refreshing water. She gathers a bit of water in her clasped palms and splashes her face. She grabs a towel from the rack behind her, and pats the moister from her face.

She notices something in the corner: the little square, digital alarm clock that sits in the corner flashes the time: 3:24. Joy groans, annoyed that she just woke up in the middle of the night.

She already knows that she will not be able to go back to sleep, harboring a secret fear that she would dream that dream again. Or worse, dream of the breakup.

Joy walks back out into her room, but does not both to turn out the light of the bathroom. She uses the light to walk around her bedroom, picking up the peach comforter that usually laid on top of her white sheets but had been kicked to the floor when she had been dreaming. She decides to remake her bed: straightening the sheets, fluffing her pillows, and readjusting the comforter to cover the sheets.

After a few minutes of fussing, Joy knows for sure that she won't be getting any more sleep tonight. She keeps on her fleecy purple and black pajama pants and puts on a black jacket over her purple camisole top. She slips on some sandals and then picks up her phone, dialing a number that she has already memorized, though it has only been one day.

When he answers with a sleepy "Hello?", she feels guilty for waking him up this late. I mean, who's up at 3:30 in the morning? But she pushes the thoughts to the side and mentions her request,

"Hey Mick, it's Joy."

"J-Joy? Why are you calling so late?" His voice is tinged with exhaustion, and again, the pang of guilt hit Joy for calling him so late.

"I thought you'd be up," she responds bluntly.

He groans but Joy can hear the smile in his voice. "Yeah, I'm up now. What's up?"

"Meet me at the park in five. I need someone to talk to."

. . .

A little while later, Joy stands at the local park near her apartment with a blanket in hand and a bag full of snacks and a torch, or a flashlight, as Americans call it.

Mick is seen turning the corner with his hands in his jacket pockets. He looks up when he steps foot onto the grass, noticing Joy standing there under the big silver moon. She grins as she sees him, laying down the blanket and setting down the bag of food.

"Hey Joy," Mick greets her.

"Hi Mick." Joy's smile widens.

"Aren't you cold?" He notes her thin jacket and camisole top.

She shakes her head. "I'll be fine."

"Why on earth would you call me down here at 4 in the morning?" he wonders aloud.

"Well, do you want to leave? I mean, I just needed someone to talk to, and my first thought was you," Joy mutters to herself.

Mick sighs. "Alright. I'm here for you. What have you got in the bag?" He lies down on the blanket with his hands behind his head.

Joy giggles, knowing that Mick realizes there is food in the bag, but then stops. Why on earth is she _giggling_? She hasn't giggled since . . . _No, don't think about him,_ she scolds herself. She unzips the bag and pulls out two sandwiches, one with turkey and tomato and lettuce, the other stacked high with meats and cheeses and two slices of lettuce.

He raises an eyebrow at her. "Let me guess." He points to the one stacked with meat, cheese, and lettuce. "That one's for you?"

Joy truly laughs, for once in a long, long while. Sure, she laughs with her friends, but those are her friends, the ones who are supposed to make her laugh; half the time, it's half-hearted, with no real emotion. This is Mick, someone she barely spoke to in school, and hasn't seen in a long time. He is someone that she does think is attractive, but not someone that she personally would date. Especially since Mick is best mates with _him_.

"No, that one's not for me. Do you really think I would eat all of that? Plus, I can't afford to gain weight if I want to fit into those blue jeans that I wear at Erin's."

Mick rolls his eyes and scoffs. "Don't tell me you're worried about looks. You're gorgeous, Joy."

She blushes, glad that it is dark enough that he does not see her face. "T-Thanks." She quickly changes subject. "So, um, here's your sandwich." She hands him the overstuffed sandwich and he immediately digs into it. Joy takes a small bite of hers, an amused smile on her face at watching him eat like he has not seen food for days.

After about twenty minutes of chatting and eating, they both end up staring up at the sky, trying to find constellations that sparkle through the harsh city lights.

"See, there's Orion's Belt," Joy points out, using her finger to trace the constellation out.

"I don't see it."

"It's right there, don't you see it?" Joy taps him on the arm, takes his hand, and draws the group of stars with his pointed index finger.

"That's just a line of stars, they don't look like a belt."

"Yes, it does! Use your imagination!" Joy insists.

"If Fabian was here, he could explain it," Mick blurts out. Joy's body goes rigid, and the warm, easy air that had surrounded them before is now gone as if blown away by a strong gale of wind.

She exhales to try and get the next words out. "Are Nina and Fabian happy?"

Mick and Joy turn their heads and lock eyes. "Well, shouldn't you know? Don't you live on the same floor as Nina, and see Fabian like 24/7 ?"

"Well, yes. But . . . I just need to make sure."

"Yeah, he seems to be happy. They're both really happy. Like, about-to-be engaged-happy." Mick peers at her as Joy swallows a sudden lump in her throat. "Why do you ask?"

She faces the stars again, avoiding his quizzical look. "N-No reason, really. I-I was just curious," Joy stutters out.

"Really? Joy, I've known you long enough to tell that you want to know something. What's going on?"

Hot tears begin to fall down her face. "N-Nothing is g-going on. I j-just wanted t-to know."

"Joy," Mick began.

She sits up, swiping her hand across her face to stop the tears from flowing. "I just, I just miss him. With them together, it's just hard to see them together. I still love him."

He puts a hand on her shoulder, but is met with a fierce hug. "Mick, I don't know what to do, I-I just ca-can't st-stand to see th-them again l-like _we_ used t-to be," Joy sobs into his shoulder, crying in front of someone for the first time in a long while.

"I know, I know. But you have to get over it, you and I both know that," he mumbles into her hair. He begins to stroke her hair: the short, silky hair that used to be long and straight when they were younger. "Why did you cut your hair, anyway? I liked it long."

The comment stops her tears, and Joy pulls out of his arms with a laugh. "That's what you have to say when I'm crying? I-I cut it as a sort of new beginning thing, when I moved here with Nina."

"Ah. Well, I still like the old hairstyle better." Mick tucks a small lock of hair behind her ear, making Joy blush again. "So are you cheered up?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks to you," Joy answers.

"It's what I'm here for."

She sighs heavily, wiping away the leftover tears from her eyes. This is why she called Mick, because he seems to be the only one who can make her truly laugh again, like the old times.

Joy lies back onto the ground, with her hands folded across her stomach and her warm breath leaving faint white clouds in the air. "What happened to us? I mean, what we used to have?" she whispers into the night.

"What do you mean?" he murmurs, confusion apparent in his voice.

"We used to be really close. Like, after we went to school together, remember?" Joy turns her head to see Mick staring up at the sky, tracing the stars with his iridescent blue eyes.

Joy feels herself comparing Mick's eyes to _his_, to Fabian's. The latter has beautiful blue eyes, ones that she can stare into for days and days-they always made her feel warm on the inside. Mick's eyes, on the other hand, are a blue that gives her butterflies in her stomach.

"Yeah, I remember. We would always hang out after school ended, going to that ice cream shop and I would always get vanilla ice cream and you would got coffee and chocolate . . ." Joy recalls.

"I would always get the double-scoop and you would get that teeny-tiny cup with _half_ of one scoop," he laughs.

"Hey! I didn't want to eat too much ice cream! I needed to keep a figure!" Joy protests. She tries to be angry, but can't stop a laugh from coming out of her mouth.

Joy's gaze returns to the sky, searching the endless night for a shooting star that she can wish on. To wish that everything is like before, when she would hang out with Mick and have a great time. To laugh and not have a care in the world.

Mick's voice interrupts her internal lamenting, "Like I told you before, Joy, you're gorgeous. You don't need to worry about keeping a figure."

"Yeah, yeah. I bet you tell all of the girls that."

"Well, only on dates, yeah."

For the second time that night, er, morning, Joy is stunned by his words. When they used to hang out, it was just as friends. Really close friends. People even thought they were dating at times, to which they both laughed with a shake of the head. Mick had been her rock, the shoulder to cry on, the one who would cheer her up when she was sad. He wasn't a boyfriend or a date, or anything like that. He had been an older brother, looking out for his little sister.

That was then, and now . . .

"So is this a date?" Joy asks quietly.

He turns and leans on one elbow, looking down at her. "Well, usually, I don't go out at four in the morning to meet a pretty girl in a deserted park to look under the stars. So, yeah, if you want it to be, this could be a date."

Joy looks at him from the corner of her eyes, wondering if he is being serious. "We've always been friends. Really close friends. Why now?"

"Why _not_ now?" he replies. He straightens up, looking down at her with a smile on his face.

She sighs. "Listen, Mick. We've been through everything together. You picked me up when I was down, and gone through thick and thin to where we are today. I-I don't know if I can ever like someone again after what happened."

Joy also sits up, puts her knees to her chest, and props her chin on her knees. She gazes out, over the rolling green hills now darkened by the night sky, and the fountain a little ways away, with trickling water that appears to turn to ice in the darkness. It's a beautiful night for everything. Maybe even to start something new.

* * *

><p>Okay, that's chapter three. I would have uploaded this yesterday, but I couldn't connect to the internet. I swear, I couldn't. So, I'm uploading the last two chapters today (in a total of four.)<p>

Please review? Please?

~Ary


	4. Happy Endings

Last chapter. To me, it seems a bit rushed, but eh, I'm the author. I'm supposed to be judgmental about my writing. Enjoy!

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><p>Chapter Four: Happy Endings<p>

It is an hour later, and the stars are starting to fade into the dark blue, lavender sky that signals morning is coming. Joy and Mick are still sitting on that blanket, in the same positions as before, and have been silent for the last twenty minutes after he told her that this is a date. Joy's feelings about it are still a mess as she tries to sort out if she likes that fact or if she doesn't.

"Wanna make a wish?" Mick asks her.

"What stars are there to wish on? They're all gone," Joy counters.

"No. See that last one over there?" He points to one that is on Joy's left, and she sees his hand reach out, across her body, to gesture to the array of stars.

Joy doesn't look at the stars, she's captivated by his blue eyes that are sparkling with excitement. Just like Fabian's used to . . . before he met Nina. Mick sees that she is not paying attention and they lock eyes. She breaks away from his gaze to stare at the fluffy brown blanket that she is lying on.

A hand is placed under her chin to lift her head to face him. He searches her eyes for an answer, a reply, anything. Her eyes begin to drift down to looking at his lips, and she feels herself moving closer and closer to him.

_Is this what I want? To love someone again?_ a voice asks.

Closer.

_Would it really be that bad?_

Closer.

_It was true that I used to like him. But what about now?_

An inch away.

"I can't do it," she whispers, and pulls away.

"Why not?"

"For the same reason that I didn't kiss you last time." The scene flashes past her eyes as if watching a fast-forwarded slideshow. Goofing off in the ice cream parlor like usual, still recovering from the sting of rejection from Fabian; then almost kissing him; but not because she thought he would just leave like Fabian did.

Mick looks perplexed. "Because you still love Fabian?"

"No! Because, because I'm afraid that you won't love me in return. You remember how Fabian and I hung out together after he and Nina broke up that one time. I thought I had been over him, but I fell for him twice as hard. And then when he and Nina got together, it broke my heart. Again. I don't want to go through that twice."

"Listen. I'm not in love with anyone else. How would I hurt you?"

_Go to a bar, get drunk, and sleep with some sleazy bimbo?_ Joy thinks to herself. She bites her tongue, and retorts, "I just don't know what to believe anymore."

"Do you believe in wishing on stars?"

"What? No, of course not." Joy crosses her arms in frustration. God, did he have to switch subjects so much?

"Why not?"

"Mick, it's for kids. It's a placebo: kids wish on a star, and they have so much hope that it will come true that they are driven enough to do it. Either that, or the parents, themselves, buy the kids the thing they wish for."

"You can't say you haven't done it," Mick insists. Joy nods. "See? Now come on, it's not that bad. Wishes are great."

"Ha. Wishes are for people with no drive to do anything themselves. They're for those who can't bother to make something of themselves. So, as you can see, I don't do wishes."

"Fine. I'll make a wish, then." He closes his eyes. "Okay, star. I wish that Joy would get over herself and kiss me."

"Hey!" Joy smacks him on the shoulder. "You're not supposed to say it aloud, or to me. And I will not get over myself!"

He laughs. "Then how do I expect to make the wish come true? And you really do need to stop over thinking this. It's easy: do you like me, or not?"

Her smile disappears. "Yeah, true. To answer your second question, I do like you. A lot. I'm just afraid."

"I've told you to not be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. You know that," he reassures her.

Joy opens her mouth again, but instead of words, a loud yawn comes out of her lips. She has not realized how long she's been up and how tired she's been. Mick gives her a small grin. "Sleep, okay? We'll talk about it later. I'll wake you up at sunrise so we can watch it together."

"Mm, thank you." Joy curls into a ball, but Mick picks her up by her small shoulders and puts her in his lap.

"More comfortable?" he queries.

She looks up and meets his eyes with her half-lidded, exhaustion filled ones. "Yes . . ." she trails off as she drifts to sleep, safe in his arms, and dreams of that first day of heartbreak, when Mick was there for her, like he always had been.

. . .

_"What happened?" Mick asks as he looks up, his dinner forgotten as he sees his broken-hearted friend._

_"F-Fabian a-and N-N-Nina got back t-together . . ." she sobs._

_"Wh- Isn't that a good thing?" Mick sounds puzzled by her crying._

_"You know how I feel about him! He left me heart-broken, and I-I don''t know what to do!"_

_"You just get over him. That's all. Now lemme bring you back to my apartment so we can get you washed up."_

_They clamber into Mick's black SUV and he drives back to his apartment while throwing worried glances over his shoulder at Joy in the passenger seat. She is curled in a ball, sniffling, with tears running down her face._

_When they arrive at Mick's apartment complex, he practically drags her up the stairs to his third story apartment. Once she is inside, she sits on the couch, unmoving and appearing as if she is frozen like a statue. Soft sobs continue to come from her hunched figure, and Mick comes from the kitchen with a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup._

_"Here's a bowl of my famous, homemade soup," he announces._

_Joy looks up at him warily. "You made this?"_

_Mick's proud grin fades. "Well, yeah. Kind of."_

_She raises an eyebrow._

_"Okay, okay. It's Campbell's soup from the can," he admits, "but technically it's mine, since we have the same name."_

_A sound comes from her, and it takes Joy a moment to realize that she's laughing. It is only a day after she found out that they are back together, and already she's over it? That just sounds awful, she should be crying for a lot longer, shouldn't she?_

_"Thanks, anyway." Joy ladles a bit of the soup with her spoon and sips it. It tastes delicious, just like home and her mother's recipe. And it is canned soup, so her mother will be a bit angry that Joy is comparing her mother's homemade soup to a canned version._

_"Hey there, _**_Munchkin_**_!" Mick exclaims._

_Joy stops sipping her soup. "Excuse me?"_

_"My dog, Munchkin," he laughs, pointing to a large German Shepherd who pads into the room. The dog wags its tail at Joy, a pink tongue hanging out of its mouth._

_"Why did you name her 'Munchkin'?" Joy questions as she reaches over to pat the dog on its head._

_"Well, my dad wanted to name him after that _**_extraterrestrial_**_ character, E.T., after seeing the movie. My dad was completely obsessed with that movie for the longest time. Thank god I had some say in it, or she would be called E.T. for the rest of her life."_

_"Yeah, that would be unfortunate." The dog thumps her tail against the ground as Joy pets her head, a content grin on the dog's face._

_"Mick, thanks for everything. I-I don't know how I can ever repay you," Joy murmurs._

_"Well, I think I know how," he replies. He opens his arms wide, and Joy stands up, forgetting her soup and hugging him tightly._

_"Thank you," she whispers in his ear._

. . .

"Joy, wake up. Wake up," Mick's mumbles in her ear. His breath tickles her ear, and Joy opens her eyes, where bright sunlight shines in her eyes. She sits up and puts a hand to her eyes to shield them from the blinding sunlight.

"It's gorgeous," she breathes, staring at the beautiful sky that had only been dark blue and purple a few hours ago.

"You are, too, you know," he compliments.

Joy turns around. "I came up with a wish."

"I thought you didn't believe in wishes," Mick retorts.

"Well, thanks to you, I do believe."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind." She smiles a serene smile. "You know what I wish?" she whispers.

"What?" he asks.

"I wish I could be with you forever." She smiles, and he beams in reply. They edge closer and closer, meeting together with a perfect kiss.

"Oh wait, wait." Joy pulls away. "Would you . . . like to go . . . with me . . . to the wedding? Patricia's wedding?"

"I would love to. But I would prefer to bring my date with me," Mick replies.

Her eyes twinkle with happiness. "It's a date."

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><p>I actually never realized the Campbell's soup can and Mick Campbell thing until now, when I wrote it. (: What a coincidence!<p>

I hope you enjoyed, now please, FOR THE LOVE OF PINK AND SPARKLES, REVIEW. And also, this is dedicated to Juice95 because she was the only one who reviewed Chapter Two...

Anyway, I'll see you in my other stories, hopefully. Again, please review... (And Inkie, this is in on time, it's only 11pm my time. :D)

~Ary


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